The experts have rounded up a sweet list of devices that you can't possibly go wrong with. From smartphones and tablets to wearable tech and smart-home items, they've got something sure to please even the pickiest elf on your list.

The experts have rounded up a sweet list of devices that you can't...

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Microsoft Xbox One: The Xbox One promises to be the new hub of your living room (stop us if you've heard that one before) by incorporating live TV into the mix. Kinect 2.0 is designed to control all of your devices with just voice control, but we're still not sure the Kinect will resonate this time around.

Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

Microsoft Xbox One: The Xbox One promises to be the new hub of your...

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Samsung Galaxy S4: It may not be the pinnacle of smartphone craftsmanship, but what the approachable Samsung Galaxy S4 lacks in designer appeal, it makes up for with ... just about everything.

Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Samsung Galaxy S4: It may not be the pinnacle of smartphone...

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Fitbit Force: Fitbit's new Force tracker is one of the best fitness gadgets we've seen and sure to make a great stocking-stuffer for you or someone you care about.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

Fitbit Force: Fitbit's new Force tracker is one of the best fitness...

Roku 3: The Roku 3 is the best streaming-video box you can buy. It supports more services than anything else, with a superfast interface and a remote that has a nifty built-in headphone jack. Best of all, it's only $100, making it perfectly giftable.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

Roku 3: The Roku 3 is the best streaming-video box you can buy. It...

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2012 Tesla Model S: The Model S is essentially the car of the future, a beautifully designed, curvy sedan built from the ground up as an electric car. It features connected cabin technology, and it can even be updated remotely, adding features so an older car is as good as the newest.

Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

2012 Tesla Model S: The Model S is essentially the car of the...

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Bose SoundLink Mini: Bose's SoundLink Mini is one of the most popular Bluetooth speakers for a reason: It has excellent build quality and delivers very impressive sound for its tiny size. It's sure to be a favorite for any audiophile in your life.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

Bose SoundLink Mini: Bose's SoundLink Mini is one of the most...

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Philips Hue Connected Bulb: Like many of the new breed of user-installable, smartphone-controlled home tech products, the Wi-Fi-connected Philips Hue lighting kit has high geek/novelty appeal. After all, it's a color-changing, LED light bulb package you can program from a smartphone.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

Philips Hue Connected Bulb: Like many of the new breed of...

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MacBook Air (13-inch): Apple's latest Airs look the same, but have improved graphics and - most importantly - enormously better battery life. Just for that huge battery boost alone, the Air remains an excellent go-to laptop.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

MacBook Air (13-inch): Apple's latest Airs look the same, but have...

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Asus RT-AC68U router: The Asus RT-AC68U redefines "cutting-edge." It's currently the fastest Wi-Fi router on the market and also comes with a host of useful features. If a friend of yours wants a Wi-Fi router that has it all, this is the ultimate gift.

Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Asus RT-AC68U router: The Asus RT-AC68U redefines "cutting-edge."...

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Apple iPad Air: Thanks to the iPad Air, with its vast ecosystem of apps, great performance and fantastic screen, Apple retains its title as maker of the best tablet money can buy. Though other contenders from Google and Amazon are beginning to mount stronger competition, the iPad Air weathers the storm.

Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Apple iPad Air: Thanks to the iPad Air, with its vast ecosystem of...

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30: The ZS30 is our top camera gift pick because it offers excellent photos and videos for its class, a broad feature set and fast shooting performance, all at a reasonable price.

The experts have rounded up a sweet list of devices that you can't possibly go wrong with. From smartphones and tablets to wearable tech and smart-home items, they've got something sure to please even the pickiest elf on your list.

Smartphones: Samsung Galaxy S4

It may not be the pinnacle of smartphone craftsmanship, but what the approachable Samsung Galaxy S4 lacks in designer appeal, it makes up for with ... just about everything.

Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

The good: It has Android 4.2.2, a fantastic camera, a powerful quad-core processor, and software solutions for just about every scenario - including working as a TV/DVR remote. It's also comfortable to hold and has NFC, a user-replaceable battery and a microSD storage slot.

The bad: Its screen is dimmer than competitors'; its plastic design gives it a cheaper look than its rivals; and we found the power button turned on at undesirable times. Not all camera modes work as promised, and a long list of software features can quickly overwhelm and confuse.

The cost: $100 to $700

The bottom line: Its laundry list of features require time and effort to truly master, but the Galaxy S4 is the top choice for anyone looking for a big-screen, do-everything smartphone.

TVs: Panasonic TC-PST60 series

The good: The series has a reasonable price, incredibly good picture quality with exceedingly deep black levels, great shadow detail, accurate colors, solid bright-room performance, and superb off-angle and uniformity characteristics. It also features sleek styling with metal accents, offers plenty of Smart TV content and includes two pairs of 3-D glasses.

The bad: Worse 3-D quality than many competing TVs, not as suited to extremely bright rooms as some LCD models, consumes more power than LCD TVs, introduces significant input lag.

The cost: $1,498 to $1,700

The bottom line: The midlevel price and outstanding quality of the TC-PST60 series make it our strongest TV recommendation ever.

Home theater: Roku 3

The Roku 3 is the best streaming-video box you can buy. It supports more services than anything else, with a superfast interface and a remote that has a nifty built-in headphone jack. Best of all, it's only $100, making it perfectly giftable.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

The good: The excellent new interface and faster processor make it feel quicker and more responsive than any other streaming box. More than 750 channels are supported, including Netflix, Amazon Instant, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Pandora, MLB.TV, Amazon Cloud Player and Vudu. It also has cross-platform search that scours several major TV and movie services to find content. And the nifty new remote has a built-in headphone jack that lets you listen without disturbing others.

The bad: There's still no official YouTube channel. Some services have an outdated interface compared with other streamers. The Apple TV still works better within the Apple ecosystem. And the Roku 3 isn't a great option if you're mostly looking to stream your personal digital media collection.

The cost: $95 to $100

The bottom line: The Roku 3 is the best streaming-video box yet, with tons of content sources, lightning-fast performance and an innovative remote with built-in headphone jack.

Gaming: Microsoft Xbox One

The Xbox One promises to be the new hub of your living room (stop us if you've heard that one before) by incorporating live TV into the mix. Kinect 2.0 is designed to control all of your devices with just voice control, but we're still not sure the Kinect will resonate this time around.

Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

The good: It integrates live TV in an innovative fashion and can control your cable or satellite cable box, TV and receiver. Most games present noticeably improved graphics over those on the Xbox 360. The Xbox One has a slightly better roster of exclusive games than the PS4.

The bad: The live TV integration is fraught with frustrations: Kinect voice commands don't always work; the new dashboard is more confusing than it needs to be; and the system lacks full DVR integration. It costs $100 more than the PS4, and the additional Xbox Live Gold membership fee is required to use nearly every cool feature. The lineup of games lacks a Halo-caliber must-have title.

The cost: $500

The bottom line: The Xbox One goes beyond gaming with its ambitious live-TV integration, but it can't deliver a knockout blow to the PS4 due to a higher price and uneven voice control. We suggest you wait for improvements, but for now, the Xbox One is better suited to forgiving early adopters.

Wearable tech: Fitbit Force

Fitbit's new Force tracker is one of the best fitness gadgets we've seen and sure to make a great stocking-stuffer for you or someone you care about.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

The good: This device makes it easy to track steps, sleep and calories. Its wrist strap design is lightweight and comfortable to wear, and it also functions as a watch. It syncs wirelessly over Bluetooth, and Fitbit provides plenty of ways to sift through fitness data.

The bad: Closing the strap shut is a challenge. Direct syncing is only available with newer iPhones and the Samsung Galaxy S3, S4 and Note 2 handsets.

The cost: $130

The bottom line: The Fitbit Force leaps to the top of the fitness tracker heap, with a bright screen, a comfortable fit and a bevy of slick features.

PCs and Macs: MacBook Air (13-inch)

Apple's latest Airs look the same, but have improved graphics and - most importantly - enormously better battery life. Just for that huge battery boost alone, the Air remains an excellent go-to laptop.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

The good: New Intel fourth-gen CPUs help the updated laptop achieve amazing battery life. The multitouch track-pad is still the industry's best, and even better, the 13-inch version now starts at $100 less than the previous model.

The bad: Newer features such as touch-screens and higher-resolution displays are still missing. The ultrabook competition is catching up, in terms of design.

The cost: $975 to $1,100

The bottom line: Apple keeps the latest MacBook Air updates on the inside, but greatly improved battery life and a lower starting price make up for a lack of flashy design changes.

Appliances: Philips Hue Connected Bulb

Like many of the new breed of user-installable, smartphone-controlled home tech products, the Wi-Fi-connected Philips Hue lighting kit has high geek/novelty appeal. After all, it's a color-changing, LED light bulb package you can program from a smartphone.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

The good: The starter kit lets you change the color of your lightbulbs and control them from your phones. It's easy to use, and - most importantly - nails the basics.

The bad: Three-bulbs-and-a-hub is expensive, the novelty factor will wear off for many users quickly, and Android users apparently come in second on Philips' app development priority list.

The cost: $200

The bottom line: You might not have an obvious need for an Internet-connected, color-changing light bulb, but this kit offers enough potential to justify its high price.

Portable audio: Bose SoundLink Mini

Bose's SoundLink Mini is one of the most popular Bluetooth speakers for a reason: It has excellent build quality and delivers very impressive sound for its tiny size. It's sure to be a favorite for any audiophile in your life.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

The good: This very sleek, very compact wireless Bluetooth speaker sounds very good for its small size. It also has excellent build quality, with an unibody aluminum enclosure, and includes a charging cradle that you can leave plugged in.

The bottom line: While it's fairly expensive, the SoundLink Mini is one of few standout products in the ultracompact wireless speaker category, featuring a top-notch design and very good sound for its tiny size.

Cameras: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30

The ZS30 is our top camera gift pick because it offers excellent photos and videos for its class, a broad feature set and fast shooting performance, all at a reasonable price.

Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5

The good: The camera gets you a lot of features in a compact body, including a 20x zoom lens, 3-inch touch-screen, Wi-Fi for remote control of the camera as well as easy sharing, high-speed and full HD movie capture, and GPS. Photo quality and shooting performance are very good for its class.

The bad: The power and Wi-Fi buttons are too easy to accidentally press. There's no raw capture option. Battery life can be short if you do more than just take photos. Photos look soft and have visible noise/artifacts when viewed at full size even at its lowest ISO.

The cost: $368 to $400

The bottom line: A fully loaded travel zoom that's fun to use, the Lumix DMC-ZS30 has a lot to offer both advanced and casual snapshooters.

Cars: 2012 Tesla Model S

The Model S is essentially the car of the future, a beautifully designed, curvy sedan built from the ground up as an electric car. It features connected cabin technology, and it can even be updated remotely, adding features so an older car is as good as the newest.

Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

The good: The 2012 Model S delivers extraordinary range for an electric car, along with excellent power efficiency and tremendous acceleration. A 3G data connection powers Google Maps for navigation and Internet radio. The 17-inch touch-screen reacts promptly to input.

The bad: The navigation system lacks a favorite destinations list and the maps only show in one orientation (north up). The only driver assistance feature is a backup camera.

The cost: $57,400

The bottom line: The 2012 Model S sets a new standard for cars of the 21st century by integrating cabin tech equal to anything from the consumer electronics industry and incorporating a long-range, powerful and efficient electric drivetrain.

Printers and peripherals: Asus RT-AC68U router

The Asus RT-AC68U redefines "cutting-edge." It's currently the fastest Wi-Fi router on the market and also comes with a host of useful features. If a friend of yours wants a Wi-Fi router that has it all, this is the ultimate gift.

The bad: The router is expensive, it's not wall-mountable, and not everyone will immediately benefit from its new and faster Wi-Fi standards.

The cost: $220

The bottom line: For advanced and professional users, this is worth every penny, thanks to its stellar performance, solid build and bounty of useful features.

Tablets: Apple iPad Air

Thanks to the iPad Air, with its vast ecosystem of apps, great performance and fantastic screen, Apple retains its title as maker of the best tablet money can buy. Though other contenders from Google and Amazon are beginning to mount stronger competition, the iPad Air weathers the storm.

Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

The good: The iPad Air delivers more performance and comparable battery life in an attractive and impossibly thin and light package. An improved front-facing camera makes FaceTime look better, and the Retina Display still looks great.

The bad: The Touch ID fingerprint scanner, introduced on the iPhone 5S, is sadly absent here, meaning you'll still have to type in a passcode with every unlock and a password with every purchase. Starting at $499 for 16 GB, it's still expensive compared with the competition.

The cost: $499 to $929

The bottom line: Functionally, the iPad Air is nearly identical to last year's model, offering only faster performance and better video chatting. But factor in design and aesthetics, and the iPad Air is on another planet. It's the best full-size consumer tablet on the market.